


I'm All Free For You

by Jetrocketboy



Series: Life Is Gonna Change [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Dates, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Moving In Together, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 07:18:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19662481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jetrocketboy/pseuds/Jetrocketboy
Summary: After that one night, Buck realized how much shit Eddie had to deal with on his own. Buck doesn't want to rush anything, but if he wants to give his boyfriend the support that he deserves, he's going to have to take the next big step in their relationship...





	I'm All Free For You

The early morning sun glistened on the glass windows of the health center. The two men remained in their car, just outside the entrance. Both were unwilling to move.

Eventually, Buck broke the silence.

“Y’know, you don’t have to do this now. There’s no shame in turning back.”

He turned to face the person in the passenger seat of his truck, and was met with a slightly anxious, but determined look from Eddie.

“No, I have to do this now... I want to.”

Buck pushed himself forward, closer towards his boyfriend, as he took one of Eddie’s hands in his. He made sure to grab the right one, as his left was still recovering from… _that_ night. The wrappings were taken off not long ago, but the scars were still fresh and too visible. 

“Okay, that’s good. Just remember that whatever you decide to do, I’ll be here supporting you.”

Eddie’s gaze shifted from their conjoined hands to Buck. He could see his mouth twitched ever so slightly upwards, and that his beautiful brown eyes had filled with gratitude. “Thanks. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Buck leaned in, and closed the space between them. He captured Eddie in a deep kiss, his body pressing into the center console. 

All too soon, the moment was over as Eddie pulled back. “I have to go, but I’ll call you when I’m done, alright?”

“Of course. I’ll be waiting for you. Good luck,” Buck affirmed. He tried his hardest not to get out of the car as Eddie got out, or to help him make his way inside. While he would do everything he could to make sure his man was okay, there would be times when Eddie had to do things on his own. These therapy sessions were unfortunately a part of that. 

Buck heaved a sigh as the truck door shut. He looked through the window and watched as Eddie walked farther and farther away. Just before he disappeared through the entrance, Eddie turned around and gave a small wave. Buck returned the gesture until he couldn’t see the other man anymore.

He sniffed, and wiped away at the moisture building in his eyes. Buck hoped no one would mind if he kept his car parked here for a little while longer.

* * *

It was later on in the afternoon, and Buck was brooding on the firehouse’s couch. It was a relatively quiet day, and he doesn’t know if he should be thankful for the lack of emergencies. Sure, it was good that people were being safe, but now with nothing to do, Buck was faced with his own thoughts, which in of itself was dangerous.

Could he really help Eddie? Buck was used to dealing with physical opponents to the people he cared about. He remembers wanting to punch the guys with wandering eyes when he would “date” back in school. Or when Maddie started seeing Doug, he got that uneasy feeling and wanted to deck him right on the spot. 

But now? He wasn’t up against some person he could simply beat up. He was dealing with one of the most prevalent mental conditions that plagued too much of the population. Buck certainly wasn’t equipped for this kind of situation, so would he be able to provide Eddie with the support he needed?

Of course he could. Right? Buck had to try his damn hardest—he owed Eddie that much. 

Luckily, Hen had walked into the kitchen to unknowingly save him from his mad thoughts. “Hiya, honey.”

Buck bent his neck over the couch arm he was laying on to see Hen preparing the coffee machine. “Hey...”

Apparently, after speaking only one word, the woman could immediately tell something was up. Buck had honestly thought he was being subtle, but maybe he should be thankful for Hen’s quick deduction. “Okay, what’s going on now, Buck?”

“N-Nothing’s going on.” Buck opted for a lie because, well, when was he ever good at explaining his emotions?

“Come on, honey. The only times I’ve seen you on the couch like that are when you’re feeling particularly depressed.”

His face started flushing red, and he quickly hid it by turning the other direction. “It’s nothing, really.”

Hen was quiet for a moment, and Buck could hear the sound of a cup being placed down. He could also notice how her footfalls were getting louder as she cautiously approached him. “Does it have to do with Eddie?”

Buck almost flinched with the mention of that name. He slowly shifted his gaze from the blank wall to Hen, a concerned expression written on her features. He shook his head, and quickly looked anywhere else but her. “It’s stupid…”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hen urged. She took a few more steps toward him, and knelt down on her knees so that they were at eye level. “Eddie told us, y’know?”

Buck still wasn’t looking at her. “How much did he say?”

“Enough to understand that you both are a little restless right now.”

Buck let out a huff. “That’s a bit of an understatement.”

“Look, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But whatever it is you’re worried about, I’m sure it will work out in the end.” Hen reached out her hand and placed it atop Buck’s.

When he finally turned and saw her, he was met with a sad smile. Buck couldn’t help but return it with his own, smaller grin. “Thanks, Hen. I’m sorry I’m not the best person to talk to right now.”

“No, it’s okay, honey. I may not know what you two are going through right now, but there’s no need to feel sorry about anything.”

Buck’s smile grew a little bit at her words. He was grateful for the support, even if he didn’t think he was the one who actually needed it. Eddie’s problem was so much bigger than his, and Buck kind of feels guilty for making people worry about himself.

The buzzing of a phone broke through the somber atmosphere that had enveloped the room. Hen saw that it was Buck’s, and she swiftly picked herself up off the floor. “If that is who I think it is, I’ll give y’all some privacy.”

As Hen made her way out, Buck’s attention was pulled towards his phone as it kept ringing. He briskly pushed his body off the couch and reached for the device that he carelessly threw on the coffee table. Once he saw Eddie’s name written across the top of the screen, he answered immediately.

“Hi, baby. How did it go?”

Eddie’s voice came through, and he sounded better than he did this morning. Even though they were separated for only a few hours, Buck really missed hearing his boyfriend. “It went fine.”

Buck was standing now. It wouldn’t be long before he started pacing the kitchen. “Like, good fine? Or bad fine?” 

The chuckle that Eddie gave was enough to calm his nerves, if just a bit. “Good fine, Buck. I’m doing alright.”

“Oh, that’s great then!”

“Yeah, and you know what would make me feel even better?”

“What’s that?”

  
  
“If you came to pick me up so I can see that handsome face of yours.”

  
  
It was Buck’s turn to laugh. A genuine, hearty laugh that he felt he hadn't had in a long time. “Of course I’m coming to pick you up, baby.” Buck quickly gathered his things and made his way down the stairs. “I was just about to leave the station. Hang tight, alright?”

“I’ll be waiting. And Buck?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Eddie.”

* * *

When Buck saw his boyfriend walk out of that clinic, he could swear that the sun shone on him just right to make him look gorgeous. His features were definitely less tired, even if it was by a small amount. Any progress was good, and for the first day back at therapy, Buck thought that it was enough to feel happy.

“Hey there good-looking,” Buck drawled as Eddie got into his truck.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Eddie joked along, leaning in for a kiss as he settled in. Buck went for it as soon as he saw him close the distance. It was short, but incredibly sweet.

“Want to head to your place? Bobby gave me the rest of the day off,” Buck inquired as he started the car’s engine.

“Sure,” Eddie replied. They were making their way down the road before Buck spoke up again.

“How’d it go? The session, I mean.”

“Good. It wasn’t really anything special. The whole thing started feeling familiar after a while.”

“That’s nice. Are you able to tell me what you talked about with the doctor?”

“Not really.” Buck visibly deflated a bit, and Eddie was quick to notice. He reached around with his right hand and rested it on the one Buck gripped the gear shift with. “But you know what I can say?”

“And what’s that?” Buck sneaked a side glance at the other man, and there was something behind Eddie’s brown eyes. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say it was… excitement.

“So, one of the things Dr. Grayson told me I should do was have fun again. I told him that I haven’t had the time to really do fun, so he suggested that doing something I enjoy would help with the whole recovery thing. At the very least, he said it would make for a nice distraction every once in a while.”

Now Buck was interested. “Okay, what do you have in mind?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Eddie’s face blush. “I was thinking, how about we go on a date?”

If Buck was drinking a glass of water right now, he felt like he would spit it out. “A date? Like, an actual, official date?”

“Yeah, I mean, we haven’t actually gone out together yet, and what better time than now to have our first one?”

There was an exhilarated feeling in Buck’s chest that made him jittery. His first date with Eddie? Now that was something he had been looking forward to for a long time. “Absolutely! Let’s do it! But only if you let me treat you.”

Eddie smirked. “Ah, how gentlemanly of you!”

“What can I say? You bring out the inner squire in me,” Buck jested as he tried and failed to replicate a medieval accent. The laugh that Eddie released made his heart do backflips.

“Alright, well I’ll leave the planning to you, then. How about you drop me off at my house so I can get Chris from school, and you spend that time preparing for our date?” The way that Eddie emphasized that last word had Buck beaming with delight.

“Deal.”

It wasn’t too long until they were pulling into Eddie’s driveway. As the other man walked around to the front door, he spun around and motioned for Buck to roll down his window. “I’ll see you later, alright? You better bring us to a nice place.”

Buck scoffed in pretend hurt. “Are you doubting me? This will be the greatest date I’ve ever taken you on, Mr. Diaz!”

“Y’know this is our first date, remember?”

“Exactly. And I don’t plan on disappointing!”

“We’ll see about that, Mr. Buckley.”

* * *

Buck was absolutely ecstatic. He was about to go on a real date with Eddie, who was his boyfriend and he was going to go out with him and did he mention that he was taking _Eddie_ on a _date_?

He had to take a quick breather to calm himself down. He never got this nervous when thinking about dates before. Then again, he never really felt this kind of love for anyone before either. All of his previous experience was moot right now, because he didn’t want this to be like something from his past. He wanted to do it differently, and more importantly, he wanted to do it right. For Eddie.

So in the few hours that he spent after dropping him off, Buck had gotten right to work. He pulled up the local map on his phone, and scouted for a good spot to spend their night at. As he was doing that, he drove around the city in search for a flower shop. He remembered passing by one before, and if his sister had taught him anything, it was that small, family-owned shops were way better than supermarkets. 

Satisfied with his choice of flowers, Buck made his way to the place where they’d have their date. He made sure the bouquet was safe where it was at, and then promptly entered the building. Buck spoke with a pleasant lady, and he was able to reserve a table and everything that came with that. He walked out with a bright grin across his face. Eddie was surely going to love this.

The last stop before heading back to Eddie’s was Maddie’s house. There, he entered without delay, placed the flowers in a large yet compact vase, greeted a smiling Maddie on the couch, and climbed the stairs to his room. He removed his LAFD uniform, and in its place he dressed in business casual khakis, a nice button down—which he promptly tucked and buckled—and completed the look with a sleek black blazer. 

With one last comb through his blond hair, Buck was certainly pleased. If his past excursions have helped him with anything, it would be his ability to dress well. It might have been something he brushed off as just another tactic for getting people in bed—but now? Now, this was just as important a task as finding the perfect hangout spot. Eddie deserved the best, and he intended to give all that and more.

Just as Buck was heading out the door as quickly as he entered it, Maddie caught him. “And where exactly are you going all dolled up?”

Buck spun around to face her smirking, and smiled himself. She was holding the bouquet of flowers he had bought earlier, and handed it gently to him. “That’s none of your business.”

“Oh, please Buck. If I had to guess, you’re going on a romantic adventure with the man of your dreams.”

Buck gave an obnoxious sigh. “Well, when you put it like that… it makes it sound so much cooler.”

They both laughed at that, and Maddie wrapped him in a hug. “I’m only kidding, Buck. You two have a wonderful time, alright? And I want all the details as soon as possible!”

“You got it, Mads.” 

Buck got into his truck, gave one last wave to his sister, and made his way back to Eddie. He snuck a glance at the time in his car. A few hours had passed, so he hoped Eddie was ready to go.

Soon enough he was approaching the familiar driveway, but there was something that caught his eye. A family SUV that Buck didn’t recognize was parked along the curb. Who did that belong to? Well, Buck didn’t concern himself with that right now. He and Eddie were about to do something far more important, after all.

However, the issue suddenly became more concerning as Buck approached the front door. Two voices could be heard, even from outside, and neither sounded particularly happy. One of them was Eddie, of course, but the other? It was feminine sounding, but Buck couldn’t put his finger on who—

Wait. That voice was familiar. Buck had heard it only a couple of times, but it was a voice that was seared into his memory. The sound was muffled, but he was sure of it. _She_ was in there. With Eddie. 

Buck became immediately worried. He wasn’t about to let this woman ruin today, so he swallowed his fear and took the initiative. He carefully set the vase of flowers down to the side, and he took out his keyring from his pocket. In little time, Buck unlocked the door and entered the house.

Sure enough, there they were. Eddie was dressed in similar clothing as Buck, but his shirt wasn’t tucked in and the sleeves were still unbuttoned. He must not have finished changing when he was interrupted. He looked over, and saw Shannon standing there, hands at the hips. They were arguing, and evidently haven’t noticed that Buck was now there, too. He didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help it if it concerned Eddie.

“You’re being unfair, Shannon!”

“Eddie, we discussed this weeks in advance!”

“Okay, I’m sorry, alright? It’s just... I’ve been really distracted lately.”

“And what kind of ‘distraction’ is enough to make you forget about who our son is spending the holidays with?!”

“I didn’t forget about that!”

“Then why won’t you let me take him?”

“Because! Because…”

Eddie seemed to be struggling for an answer, and Buck had heard enough. He took a few steps into the living room and made himself known. 

“What the hell is going on here?”

Both parties turned their heads to face him, and Buck tried to keep his composure. The look of shock and desperation from Eddie made that quite difficult, though.

“This doesn’t concern you, Buck,” Shannon started, her voice faltering for a moment as she took a good look at both of their outfits. She placed her gaze on Eddie again. “Unless, it does.”

Eddie was wringing his hands now, his scars hidden from view. Buck knew they were there, but he wasn’t sure about Shannon. “Look, I can explain, just give me a few more days.”

Shannon sighed. “I’m sorry, Eddie. I mean it. But we had a deal, and we promised.”

Eddie gave a sigh of his own. “Right…”

“You can explain over the phone later. We really need to get going.” Shannon made her way around a helpless Eddie, and called out for Chris. She disappeared into his bedroom as Buck was left in disbelief. He went straight over to his boyfriend, who was now breathing a bit too heavily. 

“Are you okay, Eddie?”

Eddie was trying to calm down, Buck could tell. He rested a hand on his shoulder until the other man was able to speak. “Buck, I—”

Before Eddie could finish, Shannon was now walking away towards the front door, with Chris in her arms. 

“See you later, daddy! I’m going with mommy now. Oh, and see you later, too Bucky!” Chris giggled with innocence. 

“Bye, kiddo. I’ll see you soon, alright?” Eddie replied, his distress disguised by that playful tone he always puts on for Chris.

Buck wasn’t feeling any of this happy goodbye bullshit. He stepped forward, intent on stopping Shannon, but a warm hand on his chest made him halt. He turned with a confused look at Eddie, and he was only given a light shake of his head.

“Let her.”

“But—”

“Please?”

Buck could only exhale the breath he didn’t know he was holding. The sound of a car engine could be heard outside, and it was gone almost as fast as it started.

“Eddie, what the hell was that?”

“I’m sorry, I completely forgot she was coming today.”

Buck saw the defeated expression that lined Eddie’s features, and went in to wrap the man in his arms. “What did she want?”

Eddie was quick to hug him back. “We made a deal about who would get to spend which holiday with Chris. It came down to Thanksgiving with her, and Christmas with me. So, that’s why she’s taking him to her family back in Texas for a couple weeks.”

“I see…” Buck pulled back, but was sure to keep an arm on the other man’s back.

“Can… can we just not think about that right now? I wouldn’t want to be late for whatever you have planned, after all.” Eddie was really trying to be positive, but Buck could tell it wasn’t easy.

“We don’t have to go if you don’t feel like it.”

“No, no, let’s do it. I’m sure you got us something good, right?”

Buck’s chuckle broke through the gloom that developed between the men. “Oh, it’s great. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Oh, and also…” He jogged over to the front door, and stepped outside to retrieve the bouquet he had left there. “I got these for you!”

Eddie smiled and laughed as he took the vase. “Flowers? You didn’t have to do that, Buck.”

“Of course I did. They’re practically required for a good date, y’know!”

Eddie carefully set them down on the kitchen counter. “If you say so.”

“Indeed I say so! You ready to head out?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

As both of them made their way to Buck’s truck, Eddie finished fixing his dress shirt, which Buck would admit showed off his boyfriend’s muscular body very well.

They drove in relative silence, the radio of the car filling the quiet. Buck could feel Eddie was still a little tense, but he made it his goal this evening to fix that. Soon enough, they arrived at the place.

“We’re here. What do you think?”

Eddie smirked as he read the sign just above the entrance to the building. “Bowling? Are you serious?”

“I’m one hundred percent serious!” Buck laughed along with Eddie. “I didn’t think a fancy dinner was quite our style, so the next best thing I thought of was a fun night spent bowling and eating greasy finger food!”

“You’re the best. I love it.” Eddie shot out of his seat to give Buck a nice peck on the cheek. It was enough to bring back the butterflies in his stomach.

“Don’t you know it. Now c’mon! I hope you’re ready for some ass whooping!”

“Oh, look who’s getting all cocky. Makes you look all sexy. You’re on, Buckley.”

* * *

Turns out Eddie was really good at bowling. Like, really stinking good. Even though the competition was close, he had beat Buck by 30 whole points. Safe to say Buck indulged himself just a little bit more on the fries and pizza they had ordered. 

They were now pulling up into Eddie’s driveway, the sun setting for the day in the distance. Both of them were laughing to each other as they walked to the front, and Buck could tell that Eddie’s mood was a lot better than earlier. Which is why he was feeling a bit more confident in the question he was about to ask. 

“Hey, Eddie, I’ve been thinking.”

“Uh oh, Buck’s been thinking! That can’t be good.” Eddie giggled as Buck poked his side.

“I’m being serious!”

“Okay, okay, sorry. Go on.”

Buck took in a deep breath, and went for it. “Look, I understand that it must be hard being separated from Chris while you’re… y’know.” Eddie’s smile was faltering now, so Buck quickly continued. “Which is why I want to ask you if… you would like me to move in with you?”

Silence. Buck was the first to say something after some seconds passed. “O-Only for as long as you need! Or, y’know, it’s okay if you say no, I would completely understand.”

Eddie finally spoke up. “You’re asking me if you want to move in?”

“Y-Yeah?”

A few more moments, and Eddie’s face was unreadable. “Buck, could you give me your keyring?”

“What?”

“Your keyring. Can I see it real quick?”

This was it, Buck thought. He was about to reject Buck’s offer and take away his spare key and tell him to get lost. With shaky hands, Buck took the metal ring out from his pocket and placed it in Eddie’s outstretched palm. He watched nervously as Eddie removed his house key. He gave Buck back the ring, now with one less key, and stepped forward.

“Buck.”

He looked up from where he was staring at the ground. “Eddie?”

“I don’t know how stupid you have to be to think I would say no to you moving in with me.”

Buck’s face contorted into an amalgam of confusion and hope. “What?”

Eddie’s smile grew as he held up the key that he had just taken off. “I would absolutely love it if you could come live with me.”

Buck reached and grabbed the key, holding on to it as he felt the warmness of Eddie’s hand on it as well. “Do you mean that?”

“Buck, you know I do. I love you so much, and it would be an honor to have you here.”

“I love you, too, Eddie.” The other man let go of the key as Buck grasped onto it tightly. He then closed the small distance between them and passionately kissed Eddie on his soft lips. A hand let itself stroke Buck’s hair, and he could feel another on his back, pulling him even closer. 

“What do you say you use that ‘new’ key of yours and we can end this date properly?” Eddie whispered on Buck’s reddened lips.

“I’ll be all free for you tonight, baby, and every night after.”

**Author's Note:**

> Why are these stories just getting longer and longer as I write this series? Anyway, hoped you enjoyed the next installment, and all to come in the near future!


End file.
